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Scoring Drought Dooms Worcester Girls

BERLIN- Worcester Prep’s girls’ varsity basketball team fell to Greenwood Mennonite, 27-22, on Monday after a long stretch without a basket from the field that included the entire third quarter.

The Mallards led at the end of the first quarter and at the half against the Flames at home on Monday, but a scoring drought throughout the third quarter doomed them to a five-point loss. Olivia Brown hit a pair of free throws right before the end of the first quarter to put Worcester ahead, 8-6. Nearly five minutes went by in the second quarter with neither team getting on the scoreboard until a late flurry.

Worcester’s Ellie Brown scored on a fast-break lay-up to put the Mallards ahead 10-8. Brown was fouled on the play and converted the free throw attempt to extend the lead to 11-8 with 3:30 left in the second quarter. The Flames responded with a long three-pointer at the 1:40 mark to tie the game at 11-11, but Worcester’s Kristen Shriver nailed a pair of foul shots just before the half to stake the Mallards to a 13-11 halftime lead.

The game started to slip away from the Mallards somewhat in the third quarter as the home team’s net appeared to have a lid on it for long stretches. Worcester moved the ball well on offense and made good passes and got a lot of great looks, but the shots would not fall as the Flames started to pull away.

Greenwood converted three free throws early in the period to take its first lead of the game at 14-13 with four minutes left in the period. A pair of fast-break lay-ups by the Flames increased the lead to 18-13 with just over four minutes left in the third. After Greenwood was called for a technical foul, Shriver hit a free throw for Worcester’s first point of the third quarter. It would turn out to be the only tally for the Mallards in the period.

Greenwood made a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 20-14 and scored on a fast break to push the lead to 22-14 just before the third quarter expired. The Flames closed out the period with an 11-1 run and took control of the contest although the Mallards were not done yet.

Worcester’s Claire Brown hit a foul shot early in the fourth to cut the lead to 22-15, but the Flames came right back with a jumper in the paint to extend its lead to 24-15. After Wilgus hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 24-17, Greenwood delivered a dagger with a long three-pointer to push the lead back to 10 points at 27-17.

Worcester would not quit, however, and made the game close. After a lay-up by Wilgus cut the lead to 27-19, Meredith Smith made one of two free throws to move closer at 27-20. Worcester continued to apply pressure and pick up the tempo on the offensive end, but the rally was a little too late. Shriver hit a jumper with a minute left to cut the lead to 27-22, but time ran out on Worcester as the Flames held on.

Shriver led the Mallards with nine points, while Wilgus contributed six. The loss dropped Worcester’s season record to 3-6 after a 49-26 win over Salisbury School last Friday. Worcester faces Gunston at home this afternoon.